Susanna Sullivan On Why This Year’s Boston Marathon Feels Different + Getting Her Top 10 Streak Back

I want to get back into the rythmn of being in the top ten. I'd love to find myself with 5K or 8K to go feeling like I'm still competing for one of the top spots.

My guest for today’s episode is Susanna Sullivan, who is one of the most consistent marathoners in the United States and someone who’s coming into Boston with good momentum from 2025.

Her last year was anchored by a fourth place finish in Tokyo where she broke through on the world stage. She executed, competed, but didn’t fully believe she was in the race for a medal until later on.

Now she heads into Boston with what she describes as her first truly intentional build for this course. She’s been focusing on hills, especially the downhills, and tailored her training specifically to the demands of racing Boston. Add in a 1:08 half marathon PR earlier this year and it’s clear that the fitness is there.

In this episode, we talk about her Tokyo breakthrough, the mindset shift that’s followed, what she learned from a demanding 2025 season, and why this Boston build feels different.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez

Guest: Susanna Sullivan | @susannasullivan4

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr

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Chris Chavez

Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and on Feb. 15th, 2025 finally broke five minutes for the mile.

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